Satish Alekar: Remembering Dilip Kumar

Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu at Turf Club, Pune.
Behind from left: Satish Ghatpande, Dilip Gokhale, Avinash Limaye, Arvind Thakar and Suresh Basale

In 1975 to celebrate 100th show of our Theatre Academy, Pune’s original Marathi Production Vijay Tendulkar’s: Ghashiram Kotwal, we invited Dilip Kumar and Shashi Kapoor as the chief guests. Thereafter not many know that Dilip Kumar became our friend. There were many occasions where Jabbar Patel, Anil Joglekar and me were invited to his home on the Pali Hill. Several story ideas were discussed to make film. Story drafts were discussed but never materialised. But we became friends. Dilip Kumar used to speak Marathi fluently. He had seen many popular Marathi Sangeet Natak’s. Sometime at his home he will take out harmonium and sing old Marathi theatre song made popular by Bal Gandharva. Dilip Kumarji and Saira ji used to visit Pune during weekends. They used to stay at famous Turf Club and used to invite Ghashiram actors Gang for a high tea and chat. Above is one photograph of their 1993 visit to Turf Club Pune. Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu seen with ( from left: Satish Ghatpande, Dilip Gokhale, Avinash Limaye, Arvind Thakar, and Suresh Basale) We lost all these three actors over the years.

100th Show of Ghashiram Kotwal in 1975 Dilip Kumar seen with Shriram Ranade, Chandrakant Kale and Shashi Kapoor
100th show of Ghashiram at Shanmukhanand Hall, Mumbai
Dilip Kumar is with the artists.

Five minutes monologue of Dilip Kumar in 1953 film Foothpath written and directed by Zia Sarhadi